If your 4x4 is driven exclusively on regular, city roads, then you’ll probably have never considered the ground clearance of your vehicle. However, if you’re a keen off-roader or you want to get started in off-roading or green laning, then ground clearance will eventually be something you want to look at for your vehicle.
If you’re totally unfamiliar with ground clearance and how to increase it, then not to worry - this month we’re going to take you through what ground clearance is and why it’s important, as well as the different options available to you on the market.
Already know how to increase the ground clearance of your vehicle? Great, then you can visit our store for suspension lift kits and body lift kits. If you don’t know how to, then read on!
Why ground clearance is important
When you’re driving off-road, ground clearance is important because of the uneven nature of the surfaces you’ll be driving on. If the underside of your vehicle is too low and comes across a jagged chunk of land or rock, then not only could it do serious damage, but you could also find yourself stuck.
Ground clearance, then, is pretty much what it sounds like - the height of your vehicle’s body from the ground (how far it clears it by). Most serious off-roaders will want to give their vehicle a little extra ground clearance than it originally comes with - they might also look at off-road protection for the underside of their vehicle.
How to increase ground clearance on your 4x4
Thankfully, depending on the type of vehicle you have, your budget and the types of surfaces you’re intending to drive on, there are different options for achieving greater ground clearance. Let’s take a look at three of the most common ways people achieve a greater ground clearance level.
Suspension lift kits
The clue is in the name of this kit - it’s a few items that, together, can be fitted to your suspension to provide greater height for the entire body and frame of the vehicle. You’ll usually get larger coils and shock absorbers as part of the kit, providing between 1 and 3 inches of extra lift once fitted. If you want to go beyond 3 inches, depending on the model, more modifications will be required for other elements such as brakes, pipes and gear levers.
When it comes to safety, we’ve covered some of the benefits and safety factors to consider in a previous post on 4x4 lift kits that you can view here.
Body lift kits
A body lift kit, on the other hand, only lifts the body of the vehicle, not the frame. This is done by adding spacers over your original bushings, giving you anywhere between 1 to 3 inches of extra lift. As with the suspension lifts, getting further beyond the 3 inches of lift will require you to modify other parts of your vehicle.
It’s this type of kit that is very closely linked to the next tip in this piece - larger tyres.
Bigger tyres
A really simple way to achieve more distance between the underside of your 4x4 and the ground is to get bigger tyres fitted - but only alongside a body lift kit. The larger tyres will help to lift the axles out of the way, while the body kit lifts the body.
However, you should be careful and do your research first, since bigger wheels might not fit the wheel wells and could have an impact on the handling.
You can find a variety of off-road tyre sizes in our store where we stock tyres from some of the leading manufacturers in the industry.
For all the best parts and enhancements for your 4x4, look no further than Milner Off Road. We have decades of experience and offer worldwide shipping for our parts. Plus, we provide same-day shipping to help you get the parts you need as quickly as possible. Take a look at lift kits and tyres in our online store now or contact our team of specialists if you need advice on the right product for your vehicle.